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Volunteer for division and section committees and editorial boards

What would ACRL do without you? Really! We are excited to extend this opportunity for you to expand your professional network; help shape ACRL by advancing its strategic plan and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); and influence the direction of academic and research librarianship. Serving on a committee or an editorial board is a fantastic way to become involved and make an impact on the profession.

Are you ready to be considered for an opportunity to advance learning and transform scholarship through a committee appointment? I invite you to volunteer to serve on a 2022-23 division or section committee. Face-to-face attendance at conferences is not required, and committee work can be completed virtually throughout the year.

ACRL seeks to offer appointments to volunteers who are interested in leadership and service opportunities as we continue to build diverse and inclusive communities in the association. To support that effort and advance ACRL’s Core Commitment to EDI, we continue to include optional demographic questions on the volunteer form as we have since 2017. ACRL strives to offer racialized and racially or ethnically underrepresented colleagues opportunities wherever possible to acknowledge and address historical racial inequities, challenge oppressive systems, and work to eliminate barriers.

Thank you for volunteering to contribute your time and expertise to ACRL. Our association relies on the time and energy of our member volunteers, and we value the talent they invest in accomplishing the work of the association.

Thank you.—Erin L. Ellis, ACRL Vice-President/President-Elect

The rewards of volunteering

Volunteering offers many benefits and opportunities. You can:

• connect with others in the profession who are passionate and committed to academic librarianship,
• learn from those who share similar professional concerns and interests,
• network with information professionals in higher education,
• become part of a community of academic and research librarians,
• gain insights into the profession,
• enhance your leadership skills through group facilitation and project management,
• discover new ways to work,
• expand your awareness and understanding of the value of academic libraries in higher education,
• influence and advance the work of the association and the profession, and
• promote excellence within the profession.

The appointment process

Appointments are made at the division and section level, and through the editorial board process (see editorial board section below). Section vice-chairs are responsible for committee appointments for the year they will serve as chair. The ACRL vice-president is responsible for committee appointments at the division level for the year they serve as president. The ACRL Appointments Committee assists the vice-president in an advisory capacity. Division-level committees are created to conduct the work of the Board of Directors, and each committee crafts an annual work plan in consultation with their Board and staff liaisons to accomplish their charged activities and responsibilities.

Current committee members whose terms conclude at the 2022 ALA Annual Conference should submit a new volunteer form if they wish to be considered for reappointment. The online volunteer form closes February 15, 2022, and most committee appointment offers will be sent by May 2022.

Members of all ACRL committees, task forces, and similar bodies are expected to fully participate in the work of the group. Please note that face-to-face attendance at conferences is not required, and committee work can be completed virtually throughout the year.

Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

ACRL has made a Core Commitment to EDI. You can learn more about the core commitment at www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/strategicplan/stratplan. Appointments should seek to offer leadership and service opportunities to members with this commitment in mind. Racialized and racially or ethnically underrepresented colleagues should be offered opportunities wherever possible, in order to help ACRL acknowledge and address historical racial inequities, challenge oppressive systems within academic libraries, value different ways of knowing, and identify and work to eliminate barriers to equitable services, spaces, resources, and scholarship.

Factors influencing appointments

The guidelines, developed by a Board Working Group, are intended to help ACRL members understand which priorities are considered in appointing members to volunteer positions at the division level. Generally, the vice-president, Appointments Committee, and section vice-chairs should approach appointments with a holistic perspective, seeking overall balance in service to the association’s goals and priorities. These guidelines are not intended to serve as a strict rubric.

• Evidence of prospective committee member’s interest and expertise.
• Seek geographic diversity on committees and sections. This can include international representation, and/or it can include representation from different regions of the United States.
• Seek diversity in types of institutions represented on committees and sections. Candidates from public, private, and noneducational (research) institutions, consortia, and other institutions should be included, as well as candidates from community colleges, four-year college and universities, and research and doctoral universities. Historically, community college representation is particularly needed in order to ensure equitable representation for colleagues employed in community colleges.
• Consider diversity in roles and duties represented on committees and sections. Candidates from all areas of academic and research librarianship should be considered for appointment, although in some cases it may be important to appoint candidates with particular expertise to carry out particular duties.
• Seek to balance seniority, experience, and tenure in committees and sections.
• Recommendation of the current committee chair. (Source: Board, Midwinter 2009)

Although the appointment process may reflect the priorities of the vice-president/president-elect and section vice-chairs, several factors are always considered:

• Evidence of interest and expertise. Have prospective volunteers visited and/or posted to the committee’s ALA Connect community, introduced themselves to the chair, or attended the meetings (virtual or face-to-face)? Do they have knowledge and/or previous experience that relates to the work of the committee? Have they indicated their interest on the volunteer form?
• Demographics and composition of committee. A balance is sought with respect to type of library (community college, college, or university), geographic representation, ethnic diversity, and gender. Those who have not had the opportunity to serve on an ACRL committee are encouraged to volunteer, as it is important to add new perspectives.
• Recommendation of the current committee chair. Current committee chairs are asked to suggest prospective members.
• Willingness to participate in the work of the committee. Volunteers should be prepared to engage in the committee work year-round.

The final appointments are the prerogative of the ACRL president-elect and the section vice-chairs.

How to apply

1. Identify the committees that interest you. ACRL committees and their charges are listed on the ACRL Directory of Leadership at www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections. Check out the committee’s space in ALA Connect, where documents, meetings, discourses, and the work of the committees are posted. Attend virtual committee meetings throughout the year, or attend face-to-face meetings at the ALA Annual Conference to decide if their activities interest you. Talk/email with committee members. Express your interest to the committee chair. Ask about current projects and explain how you might contribute to the work of the committee.
2. Submit a volunteer form (Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for accessing the form).Volunteer forms should be submitted by February 15, 2022. You will be asked to login using your ALA member ID and the password you created. Be sure that you are a current ALA/ACRL member before attempting to login.

   To volunteer for a division-level or section committee, complete the online volunteer form at www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form.cfm.

   If you experience issues logging into the form, please contact ALA Member Relations and Services at (800) 545-2433 to check your membership status.

3. Volunteer again and check out other opportunities. If you are not appointed, volunteer again next year. In addition, continue to explore ACRL’s many opportunities to network and connect on the association website at www.ala.org/acrl/getinvolved. Review the many discussion and interest groups. Each group selects a new leader in the spring, outside of the volunteer process described above. If you’d like to start a new discussion or interest group, contact Lauren Carlton at lcarlton@ala.org.

ACRL division-level committee appointments

Information on ACRL committees, along with their charges, can be found on the ACRL Directory of Leadership at www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/committees.

Appointments to ACRL standing committees are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The Appointments Committee sends appointment recommendations to the ACRL president-elect. The president-elect makes the final appointments for the committees.

Questions about division-level appointments may be directed to the chair of the Appointments Committee, Kara M. Whatley, university librarian, California Institute of Technology, kwhatley@caltech.edu.

If you have any questions about using the volunteer form, please contact ACRL Program Coordinator Elois Sharpe for division committees at esharpe@ala.org or (312) 280-5277 or ACRL Program Coordinator Lauren Carlton for section committees at lcarlton@ala.org or (312) 280-5284.

ACRL section appointments

ACRL sections help members customize their ACRL experience through newsletters, electronic discussion lists, specialized programming, preconferences, recognition, and various initiatives. You can learn more about these great groups at www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections. Section vice-chairs appoint members to section committees. Most appointments are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference.

If you wish to be considered for a section committee appointment, complete the ACRL volunteer form at www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form.cfm by February 15, 2022. (Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for accessing the form). For more information about section appointments, please contact section vice-chairs:

Anthropology and Sociology Section. Elizabeth R. Fox, South Dakota State University Briggs Library, elizabeth.fox@sdstate.edu.

Arts Section. Carla-Mae Crookendale, Virginia Commonwealth University, cmcrookendale@vcu.edu.

College Libraries Section. Kimberley Bugg, AUC Woodruff Library, kimberleybugg@gmail.com.

Community and Junior College Libraries Section. Victoria Ames Hart, Northeast Lakeview College, vhart4@alamo.edu.

Digital Scholarship Section. Pamella R. Lach, San Diego State University Library, occupying the land of the Kumeyaay, plach@sdsu.edu.

Distance and Online Learning Section.Chimene Elise Tucker, University of Southern California, cetucker@usc.edu.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section.Samantha Godbey, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, samantha.godbey@unlv.edu.

European Studies Section. Brian Vetruba, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, bvetruba@umn.edu.

Instruction Section. Carrie Forbes, University of Denver, carrie.forbes@du.edu.

Literatures in English Section. Kristina M. De Voe, Temple University, devoek@temple.edu.

Politics, Policy and International Relations Section. Sara Arnold-Garza, Towson University, sarnoldgarza@towson.edu.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section. Melissa Hubbard, University at Buffalo-SUNY, melissa.a.hubbard@gmail.com.

Science and Technology Section. Bonnie L. Fong, Rutgers University-Newark, LibrarianBonnieFong@gmail.com.

University Libraries Section. Maura Seale, University of Michigan, mseale@umich.edu.

Women and Gender Studies Section. Caitlin Shanley, Temple University Libraries, caitlinshanley@gmail.com.

Editorial boards

ACRL has ten editorial/advisory boards for its publications: ACRL/Core Interdivisional Academic Library Facilities Survey Editorial Board; Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board; Choice Editorial Board; College & Research Libraries Editorial Board; College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board; New Publications Advisory Board; Project Outcome for Academic Libraries Editorial Board; Publications in Librarianship Editorial Board; RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage Editorial Board; and Resources for College Libraries Editorial Board.

Appointments to editorial boards are made beginning in late February for terms that begin immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The editors recommend the names of individuals to fill vacancies. The Publications Coordinating Committee approves the recommendation and the ACRL vice-president/president-elect makes the appointment.

If you would like to be considered for appointment to an editorial board, contact the editor of the editorial board and indicate your interest on the ACRL online volunteer form.

Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board chair: Devin Savage, Illinois Institute of Technology; phone: (312) 567-3615; email: dsavage@iit.edu.

ACRL/Core Interdivisional Academic Library Facilities Survey Editorial Board ACRL co-chair: Anne Marie Casey, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; phone: (386) 226-6593; email: caseya3@erau.edu.

CHOICE Editorial Board editor: Mark Cummings, Choice; phone: (800) 347-6933 x19; email: mcummings@ala-choice.org.

College & Research Libraries Editorial Board editor: Wendi Arant Kaspar, Texas A&M University, phone: (979) 862-6310; email: warant@tamu.edu.

College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board editor: David Free, ACRL; phone: (312) 280-2517; email: dfree@ala.org.

New Publications Advisory Board chair: Courtney Greene McDonald, University of Colorado-Boulder; phone: (303) 735-8638; email: crmcdonald@colorado.edu.

Project Outcome for Academic Libraries Editorial Board chair: Jennifer Arnold, Central Piedmont Community College; phone: (704) 330-6635; email: jennifer.arnold@cpcc.edu.

Publications in Librarianship chair: Mark E. Shelton, College of the Holy Cross; phone: (508) 793-3372; email: mshelton@holycross.edu.

RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage editor: Richard Saunders, Southern Utah University; phone: (435) 865-7947; email: rsaunders@suu.edu.

Resources for College Libraries chair: Tammera M. Race, New College of Florida; phone: (941) 228-5415; email: trace@ncf.edu.